Freight container

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a freight container comprising a floor, a roof (D), and a plurality of walls comprising at least a front end wall and side walls (A). These walls (A) and roof (D) each comprise at least one panel having two surface dimensions in relation to the container. The panels comprise a fibre-reinforced wall material, comprising a first and a second outer fibre layer ( 1, 6, 7,12 ), and at least a first and a second intermediate fibre layer ( 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11 ) arranged in between the first and second outer fibre layers. The fibres of the outer fibre layers are aligned along an outer fibre direction and the fibres of the intermediate fibre layers are aligned respectively along a first and second intermediate fibre direction which are mutually transverse and inclined with respect to the outer fibre direction. The outer fibre direction is aligned with a shortest of said surface dimensions of said panels.

1 . A freight container comprising a floor (AG), a roof (D) and a plurality of walls (A, B, P), said walls extending in between the roof (D) and the floor (AG) of the container and comprising at least a front end wall (B), and a plurality of side walls (A),
 wherein said floor (AG), said roof (D), and said walls (A, B, P) each comprise at least one panel, each panel having two surface dimensions in relation to the container,   wherein the panels comprise a fibre-reinforced wall material comprising a first outer fibre layer and a second outer fibre layer, and at least a first intermediate fibre layer and a second intermediate fibre layer that are arranged in between the first and second outer fibre layers, wherein fibres of the first and second outer fibre layers are aligned along an outer fibre direction, and fibres of the first intermediate fibre layer and fibres of the second intermediate fibre layer are aligned respectively along a first intermediate fibre direction and a second intermediate fibre direction that are mutually transverse and are inclined with respect to the outer fibre direction, and wherein the outer fibre direction is aligned with a shortest of said surface dimensions of said panels.   
     
     
         2 . A freight container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein for a panel of at least said front end wall (B) the fibre-reinforced wall material further comprises multidirectional reinforcement layers, the multidirectional reinforcement layers comprising at least a first and second support fibre layer comprising fibres aligned along a support fibre direction, said first support fibre layer being present contiguous to said first outer layer, and said second support iibre layer being present contiguous to said second outer layer, and wherein said support fibre direction is transverse to said outerfibre direction. 
     
     
         3 . A freight container in accordance with  claim 1 , said walls further comprising one or more side end walls (P) or roof end parts (R, S) located adjacent and parallel to said side walls (A) and roof (D) respectively, at a far or tail end of said container, wherein each of said side end walls (P) or roof end parts (R, S) comprises at least one panel comprising said fibre-reinforced wall material, and
 wherein for panels of at least said side end walls (P) or roof end parts (R, S) the fibre-reinforced wall material comprises shear stress reinforcement layers, said shear stress reinforcement layers comprising at least a third ( 5 ,  13 ) and a fourth intermediate fibre layer arranged in between the first and second outer fibre layers, wherein fibres of the third intermediate fibre layer are aligned with the fibres of the first intermediate fibre layer and the second intermediate fibre layer is arranged in between the first and third intermediate fibre layers; and wherein fibres of the fourth intermediate fibre layer are aligned with the fibres of the second intermediate fibre layer and the first intermediate fibre layer is arranged in between the second and fourth intermediate fibre layers.   
     
     
         4 . A freight container n accordance with  claim 3 , wherein in addition to the panels of the side end walls (P), the fibre-reinforced wall material of the panels of at least one of the side walls (A) or the front end wall (B) comprises the shear stress fibre-reinforcement layers. 
     
     
         5 . A freight container in accordance with at least  claim 1 , wherein one or more of said panels of said walls (A) is formed by a laminate structure comprising an outer laminate layer and an inner laminate layer, whereby the outer and inner laminate layer are both formed, at least partly, by the fibre-reinforced wall material, wherein the inner laminate layer is located at the inner side of the container (where the freight is to be located) and the outer laminate layer) is located at the outer side of the container. 
     
     
         6 . A freight container in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the laminate structure further comprises a core layer (AF) arranged in between, and in mechanical contact with, both laminate layers for supporting the laminate layers. 
     
     
         7 . A freight container in accordance with  claim 6 , wherein at least in the outer laminate layer the shear stress reinforcement layers further comprise a fifth intermediate fibre layer and a sixth intermediate fibre layer arranged in between the first and second outer fibre layers, wherein fibres of the fifth intermediate fibre layer are aligned with the fibers of the second intermediate fibre layer and the second intermediate fibre layer is arranged in between the sixth and third intermediate fibre layers; and wherein fibres of the sixth intermediate fibre layer are aligned with the fibers of the first intermediate fibre layer and the first intermediate fibre layer is arranged In between the fourth and fifth intermediate fibre layers. 
     
     
         8 . A freight container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the surface dimensions of the panels of the side walls (A) in relation to said container include length and height, wherein the height direction is defined as parallel to the front end wall (B) and side walls (A) and perpendicular to the floor (AG) and roof (D), and wherein the shortest dimension for the panels of the side walls (A) is the height direction. 
     
     
         9 . A freight container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the surface dimensions of the panels of the one or more side end walls (P) in relation to said container include length and height, wherein the length direction is defined as extending parallel with said floor (AG) and side walls (A), and wherein the shortest dimension for the panels of the side end walls (P) is the length direction. 
     
     
         10 . A freight container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein an angle between the outer fiber direction and the intermediate fiber directions is +45° or −45°. 
     
     
         11 . A freight container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the total areal weight of the fibres in the outer fibre direction (in g/m2) is approximately equal to or higher than the total areal weight of the fibres in the intermediate fibre directions (in g/m2). 
     
     
         12 . A freight container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the fibre reinforced wall material comprises two adjacent multi-axial fibre layers of triaxial 90°/+45° resp.−45°/−45° resp.+45° fibre in a symmetrical construction whereby one triaxial layer is mirrored relative to the other and the 90° direction is aligned with the outer fibre direction. 
     
     
         13 . A freight container in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the fibre.reinforced wall material of the outer laminate layer (J-14) of at least one of the side end wall (P) comprises three adjacent multi-axial fibre layers wherein the first multi-axial fibre layer is triaxial 90°/+45° resp.−45°/−450 resp.+45° fibre, the second multi-axial fibre layer is biaxial +45′″ resp.−451;>/−45° resp.+45° fibre and the third multi-axial fibre layer is triaxial +45° resp.−45Q/−45° resp.+45°/90′″ fibre, whereby the 90° direction is transverse to the height direction. 
     
     
         14 . A freight container in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the fibre layers are embedded in a thermosetting cured resin matrix. 
     
     
         15 . A freight container in accordance with  claim 14 , wherein the thermosetting resin is an unsaturated polyester resin, a vinyl (ester) urethane resin, an epoxy resin or a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         16 . Wall panel for use in a wall (A, B, P) or roof (D) of a freight container in accordance with  claim 1 , comprising a fibre reinforced wall material comprising a first outerfibre layer and a second outer fibre layer, and at least a first intermediate fibre layer and a second intermediate fibre layer that are arranged in between the first and second outer fibre layers, wherein fibres of the first and second outer fibre layers are aligned along an outer fibre direction, and fibres of the first intermediate fibre layer and fibres of the second intermediate fibre layer are aligned respectively along a first intermediate fibre direction and a second intermediate fibre direction that are mutually transverse and are Inclined with respect to the outer fibre direction, and wherein the outer fibre direction is aligned with a shortest of said surface dimensions of said panels. 
     
     
         17 . Wall panel in accordance with  claim 16 , said wall panel being arranged for use as part of a front end wall (B) of said container, wherein the fibre-reinforced wall material further comprises multidirectional reinforcement layers, the multidirectional reinforcement layers comprising at least a first and second support fibre layer comprising fibres aligned along a support fibre direction, said first support fibre layer being present contiguous to said first outer layer, and said second support fibre layer being present contiguous to said second outer layer, and wherein said support fibre direction is transverse to said outer fibre direction. 
     
     
         18 . Wall panel in accordance with  claim 16 , said wall panel being arranged for use as part of a side end wall (P) of said container, wherein the fibre-reinforced wall material comprises shear stress reinforcement layers, said shear stress reinforcement layers comprising at least a third and a fourth intermediate fibre layer arranged in between the first and second outer fibre layers, wherein fibres of the third intermediate fibre layer are aligned with the fibers of the first intermediate fibre layer and the second intermediate fibre layer is arranged in between the first and third intermediate fibre layers; and wherein fibres of the fourth intermediate fibre layer are aligned with the fibers of the second intermediate fibre layer and the first intermediate fibre layer is arranged in between the second and fourth intermediate fibre layers. 
     
     
         19 . Wall panel in accordance with  claim 16 , comprising a laminate structure, said laminate structure comprising an first laminate layer and a second laminate layer, whereby the first and second laminate layer are both formed, at least partly, by the fibre-reinforced wall material, said panel further comprising a core layer (AF) arranged in between, and in mechanical contact with, both laminate layers for supporting the laminate layers.